Expo Live is an innovation and partnership programme launched by Expo 2020 Dubai to fund, accelerate, and promote creative solutions that improve lives while preserving our planet. Expo Live will harness the convening power of a World Expo to demonstrate how innovations coming from all places and people can advance the pace of progress and inspire a more inclusive and prosperous future.

With an allocation of USD 100 million, Expo Live will combine grant programmes,
innovation challenges and knowledge sharing events to promote collaboration
and to provide technical assistance and exposure to the innovators in the run-up
to Expo 2020 Dubai.

Expo Live’s flagship Innovation Impact Grant Programme will award injection funds up to USD 100,000 to support the growth of social enterprises, startups and grassroots projects from around the world whose solutions generate social value and are in line with Expo 2020 Dubai’s subthemes of Opportunity, Mobility and Sustainability. Opening for submissions twice a year, the programme backs enterprises that offer creative solutions to pressing challenges that impact people’s lives, or help preserve the world – or both.

The Innovation Impact Grant Programme looks for projects that need support to reach their full potential. This is by providing much-needed funding, business guidance and promotion to both developed and less developed markets. This builds a platform and opportunity for knowledge exchange and co-creation. Funding levels will depend on the stage of maturity and scalability of innovations, its capacity to implement and grow, and the extent of its impacts among others.

Beyond grant funding, successful grant recipients will also have access to networking and partnership opportunities, marketing and communications exposure, as well as additional funding, enabling their solutions to be showcased during Expo 2020 Dubai. The programme will also build partnerships with local business incubators, accelerators, mentors and investors in order to strengthen and promote active and productive ecosystems.

Requirements:

The Grant Programme is an inclusive programme open to problem solvers from around the world ranging from social entrepreneurs, SMEs, non-for-profit organisations, and government related entities.